Jeet Akoijam

Jeet Akoijam, Resident Editor of Imphal Times hails from Singjamei Liwa Road. Has been with Imphal Times since its start. A National level Rugby player and a regular Trekker and Nature Lover, loves spending time in lap of Mother Nature. Jeet is the father of two lovely kids. Jeet can be contacted at [email protected]

In 19 days, Traffic Control Wing Police collected a fine of Rs.4,41,200/- as penalty from traffic regulation violators. A statement by Khoisnam Sarma Devi, MPS, SP Traffic Control Police Wing, said that a total of 3849 cases and under Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 was taken up in the last 19 days and collected a sum of Rs. 4,41,200/- as penalty. The Traffic Control Police Wing, SP statement said that as many as 1083 traffic regulation violators were warned and released. Those released after warning are mostly under aged drivers, it added.

Talks spreading among political analysts about mid-term poll speculated after the meeting between Governor of Manipur Dr. Najma Heptulla and Chief Election Officer (CEO) of Manipur PK Singh amidst dissident MLAs’ pressure for removal of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh turns out to be a rumour.

“CEO has nothing to do with mid-term poll or recommendation of President Rule but the CEO is supposed to conduct Election”, PK Singh told a Delhi based journalist during a telephonic conversation.

PK Singh (Prasant Kumar Singh) was appointed as the Residence Commissioner of Manipur Bhavan , New Delhi on August 30 by an order in the name of the Governor. He took charge as the Residence Commissioner only yesterday.

“My meeting with Her Excellency the Governor of Manipur was to brief about the condition of the Manipur Bhavan and to discuss about what to be taken up for the improvement of the Governor’s room at Manipur Bhavan along with others”, PK Singh told the reporter when asked whether the meeting was related with the rumours about mid-term poll.

It may be mention that after the photo of the meeting between Governor of Manipur Dr. Najma Heptulla and CEO Manipur PK Singh was uploaded in social media, section of political watch group have been speculating of a possible mid-term poll as the situation in the political theatre of Manipur is not stable. Dr. Najma Heptulla in her official Facebook page had posted - “Newly appointed Resident Commissioner of Manipur Bhavan, New Delhi Shri P.K. Singh met me today with the improvement plan of Manipur Bhavan (New Delhi)” on September 5.

In the aftermath of the announcement of NRC in Assam where over 19 lakhs people have been excluded from the list, an unusual rise of non Manipuri speaking people were reported from Mantripukhri area in Imphal West area.

Talking over phone a resident from Mantripukhri area said that in the last few days they saw many non Manipuri speaking people in between Masjid located opposite to the newly constructed Secretariat building till Mantripukhri Keithel area. He said that the said stretch was mostly cultivable land some years back but now many houses were seen constructed. He however did not said that those new construction are illegal as he have to verify it.

Another person who contacted to Imphal Times, but refuse to reveal his identity said that many big contractors have now stopped worrying about cheap labourers. A person of the area residing near the Masjid controlled all the labourers and any number when asked to him were available any time. But the labourers do not talk Meiteilon and they look like Bengali.

The recent rise of population seems to be impact of the declaration of the NRC in Assam, he said and added that government should immediately check these suspicious person who are seen recently.

“There are even shops in the area where the shop runners don’t speak Meiteilon”, the person who called to Imphal Times said expressing suspicion that even they may have been intruded due to fear of NRC where their names are not included.

The right to freedom of expression in Myanmar has been declining during the term of present regime, which was otherwise unexpected as Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy is leading the Union government in NayPieTaw.

Progressive Voice, participatory rights-based policy research and advocacy organization based in Mae Sot of Thailand alleged in its latest weekly highlights (26 August to 1 September 2019) that in respect of criticisms against the government and security forces of the country, the new quasi-democratic regime has shown intolerances.

“Over the past few days a prominent filmmaker and human rights activist Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi was sentenced to one year in prison for criticizing the Myanmar military in his facebook posts. Meanwhile in Kachin State, a military commander has filed a lawsuit against a Kachin ethnic (Baptist) leader for his comments made to the USA President about persecution of Christians by the military,” said the organization.

Similarly, the NLD government in Karenni State has charged six Karenni youths for calling the Karenni State chief minister a traitor over his attempt to place General Aung San’s statue in its capital Loikaw against the people’s will as they believe it ‘a symbol of the dominant role of Bamar majority, neglecting the leaders and history of Karenni people, added the weekly highlights.

Even though the Myanmar military is known for its decades-long oppression against the civilians and violations of the human rights of Myanmar people, especially ethnic and religious minorities, it was expected to get changed once the NLD government took charge after 2015 elections with the promise of democratic transitions.

“Though the first term of NLD government is slowly coming to an end, improved protection of the right to freedom of expression, alongside the right to freedom of assembly is yet to be seen. On the contrary, the military and government have increasingly become intolerant of any

criticism against them”, asserted Progressive Voice.

Mentionable is that Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi has been charged under 505(a) of the Penal Code for his facebook posts criticizing the military which could have been avoided ‘if Myanmar protects the people’s right to freedom of expression’.

Moreover, he is suffering from liver cancer and according to his lawyer Robert San Aung, he continues it be deprived of proper treatments during the detention period. Despite his concerning health condition, the court on 28 August sentenced him to one year in prison

with hard labor. Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi did not bow down and commented that ‘the military should leave politics and that the 2008 Constitution should be amended’.